Mad Honey is written in the first person narrative from the perspectives of Olivia, mother of 18-year-old Asher, and Lily, Asher’s girlfriend. The chapters alternate evenly between Olivia and Lily, starting on December 7, 2018. At the beginning of the book, Olivia receives a phone call that Lily is dead and that Asher is the only suspect.. Olivia’s POV chapters move in chronologically and Lily’s POV chapters progress backwards in time as we work to understand what led to Lily’s death.

Part coming-of-age, part romance, part courtroom drama, and part murder mystery. There was a great twist and the character development was great! Picoult and Boylan accomplish something truly beautiful in this novel, writing with a seemingly single voice, something that is rarely accomplished for writing duos.

To sum up how I feel about this book... WOW! This was an excellent novel which I devoured quiickly. Picoult & Boyland handled a number of tough issues in this book and they were written in such a way that I believe readers will get a new understanding of what happens with people who are dealing with life transition, love, abuse and the inability for people to accept change and difference. (I am working hard here not to put spoilers in this review... but as with most of Picoult's books, that makes it challenging to write a review with any substance, as there is so much packed into one book and so many twists I do not want to reveal.) Each character leapt from the pages of the book and became real to this reader. I felt their pain and joy and felt like I got to know them in a way that is rare to find in the novels I have been reading lately. I learned a lot about bees and honey.... and lots of other facts were scattered throughout the book and I found myself asking people, "did you know..." The authors have a wonderful way with words and created a world that you were sucked into and even now, after I have completed the book, I am still thinking about the story, and the characters and the things they all went through. Everyone should read this novel. Thank you to the authors, Ballentine Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing novel.

I refuse to give any spoilers away because I went into this book basically blind and my goodness did that strategy pay off!

I had read basically ever Jodi Picoult book and something that continues to amaze me is how you think you’re going into a random novel and you always get a deeper life lesson. You always get so much more out of her novels than just a good story.

This book was so incredibly seamless with the amazing character development, timelines, multiple POV and the legal side of things narrated in the book.

I am trying SO hard not to give up any spoilers but, this was a truly amazing book. I couldn’t put it down. This doesn’t come out until October but, this was a great month to read this book!

Also… bees…. What amazing little creatures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mad Honey is everything that Jodi Picoult has made us fall in love with for years and years. It is classic, gut-wrenching, beautiful and shocking. Written in tandem with Jennifer Finney Boylan, Mad Honey explores relationships of all kinds, but mostly those between a mother and a child, a marriage and teenage first loves. High school seniors Asher and Lily have been dating for three months, when Lily is found dead. Only days after, Asher is charged with her murder and the novel takes on the court-room drama that Picoult fans know well. Told in alternating chapters, Asher’s mom, Olivia, explores what it’s like to leave an unsafe marriage to raise a child on her own, forging a career as a beekeeper. Meanwhile, Lily’s story is told in a backwards storyline. We see a child that has defied odds many of us cannot imagine, experienced trauma beyond our wild imaginations and experiences real love for the first time. When a shocking revelation happens midway through the book, everything that seemed so crystal clear becomes murky. As the past is exposed in layers, I found myself questioning my own beliefs and truths. Mad Honey is harrowing for any mother, looking at the lengths we go to to protect our children, the boundaries we are willing to cross and how much our genetics are a part of us. I tried to savor every page, experiencing twists and turns that only truly spectacular authors like Jodi Picoult can produce, forcing myself not to rush to the finale. Mad Honey is meant to be appreciated and the characters demand our attention. In response, we as readers, are gifted not only an amazing story, but an eye-opening experience that should we choose to accept will mold us into better humans, better parents, kinder neighbors and more forceful voters. I cannot recommend Mad Honey enough for avid fans and new fans. It is without a doubt, a top book for all book clubs of 2022!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot stress enough that the only reason I’m not sharing a public review at this time is because, as someone who is not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I want to wait and see what the approach is regarding trigger warnings for the content of this book - especially without spoiling contents!

As usual, I am stunned and amazed by Picoult’s writing, and was also amazed by how seamlessly she and Jennifer were able to connect their different chapters until you could hardly tell the two writers apart - and yet the characters voices were clear.

I read this entire book in one day; which is saying something because it’s a long one. But I was brought to tears multiple times, laughed in spite of myself, and, as always, found my mind whirring with different ideas and points of view and lives and loves.

This book is old school @jodipicoult. Her books are some of the first I ever remember reading and loving! I mean- who didn’t read My Sister’s Keeper in high school and sob?!?

Olivia is a single mom to son Asher. Asher falls in love with the Lily, the new girl in school. One day, Olivia receives a phone call that no parent ever wants to hear-Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned by police.

Jodi Piccoult is at her best in a courtroom drama. She’s loves to throw in the hot button issues of the current political and social climate, too.

I loved this book. Thank you @netgalley and @jodipicoult for the early copy. This book comes out in October and make sure it’s on your TBR list!

#readingshouldbefun and nostalgic Jodi is fun.

Wow Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan wrote an incredible story with this one! Mad Honey reminds me of Picoult's old books and with the addition of Jennifer Finney Boylan, both take great care to tell this story. I love that they each wrote pieces of this book, and I have no idea which chapters each wrote for the other's character. I knew the ending quite early in the book, but it was pretty well paced and I still flew through the book. I would highly recommend it, especially if you like Picoult's other books!

There are trigger warnings that I would check out if concerned.

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an early copy to review!

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of the new Jodi Picoult book coming out in October. I am a huge fan of this author, have read every book she has written. I have loved some, liked some and some i haven't really liked at all. But I read every book no matter what. Having said that, this is by far the best book she has written in years. Absolutely fabulous. With multiple twists that you will not see coming. Highly recommend !

.The collaboration of Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan was seamless and made for an interesting story with great characters. I couldn't tell who wrote the different viewpoints. Reading the authors comments at the end of the book gave me a lot of information regarding how the book came about. There are some strong issues explored in totally appropriate ways. If you could be triggered by abusive behavior of transgender issues you might want to give this book a pass. I thought the writing was informative as well as entertaining.

The story held my interest from the first pages to the last. I really liked the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. I enjoyed reading about beekeeping and the history of honey. I had no idea how fascinating this subject was. I liked everything about this book and highly recommend it. This is easily a five star read.

I received a complimentary ebook from Ballantine Books for the purpose of reviewing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#MadHoney #NetGalley

Mad Honey is a moving story of love, loss, heartbreak, and redemption, told from the perspectives of both Olivia and Lily. Olivia is Asher's mom, a beekeeper who escaped an abusive husband to raise her son alone on her parents' farm in New Hampshire. Lily is Asher's girlfriend, who has overcome her own abuses to become her true self. When Asher is arrested for Lily's murder, the trials they've all faced and all the secrets they've hidden from each other are revealed. Mad Honey is truly a page turner -- a story I couldn't put down until the very end!

I absolutely loved this book! I agree with other reviewers who commented that it’s similar to the author’s earlier works. The only thing that spoiled it a bit is that I read several of the reviews before I started the book, and they gave away something that would have been a huge surprise. I highly recommend that you begin the story without reading the reviews first. You won’t be disappointed.

When I received the ARC, I was super excited to dive in, as I own a few books from this author already.. I really enjoyed the mystery element of this book while also learning about bees. I'm so appreciative to the author + publisher for sending the advanced copy.

I received a free advanced ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

"Where is the line between keeping something private and being dishonest?" This is the question that the characters in Mad Honey are forced to address. Teens Lily and Asher are in love, but the road is not smooth nor is it certain. Both have secrets and both their mothers, Ava and Olivia, are determined to protect them from any and all dangers.

Asher and his single mother, Olivia, lead a fairly quiet life. Asher is a high school hockey star, a good student, and an all-around good guy. The kind of guy that mothers want their daughters to date. Olivia is a beekeeper whose marriage dissolved in domestic violence and guilt. Determined to keep Asher away from her ex-husband and his violent tendencies, she finds peace in her aviary while her world crumbles around her.

Lily is a wonder. A talented musician, she and her mother are new to the New Hampshire community but she carries with her a determination to truly be herself even when past experiences have been horrific. She finds love with Asher but is uncertain how much to share of her past. Will he still love her if he knows the truth? Will he even understand her truth?

The structure of Mad Honey has one author mostly penning Olivia's story while the other pens Lily's. Mostly this is seamless; the differences in style are appropriate for totally different characters' voices. At times, however, Olivia gets a little too detailed about bees and Lily gets a little too didactic. But what does come through loud and clear is love, acceptance, and understanding. These are virtues that readers will not only read through the characters but also take into their hearts.

Olivia and son Asher live in a small town after moving from Boston. Olivia divorced her doctor husband years ago because of his violent tendencies toward her. Olivia is a beekeeper and tending the bees gives her comfort. Lily, Asher’s girlfriend, is new to town and holds many secrets. She is smart, is an accomplished cello player, and quickly captures Asher’s heart. Asher is 18, an adult, so when he is found holding his dead girlfriend, he is charged with murder. Olivia’s brother Jordon agrees to take the case. He has his work cut out for him. Even Olivia wonders if Asher has the same tendencies his father has when things go wrong.
Olivia has tried to keep secrets from Asher where his father is concerned. Lily seems to have a lot of secrets and reveals as much as she can based on Asher and Lily’s budding relationship. Asher and Lily have secrets they keep together. There are a lot of truths in this book as the characters struggle with people they love. I particularly liked the insights into trials and how hard it was for Jordon, the lawyer, to be Jordon the brother and uncle. Bee colonies play an important part in Olivia and Asher’s lives and I learned a lot about bee keeping. Great book with complicated characters.

This is an incredible, intense novel that these two authors nailed! Wow!
If you are looking for a magnificent courtroom drama, with mystery, friendship, family, love and also lots of beekeeping knowledge; then you will want to scoop up this book NOW!

I truly took my time reading it slowly, so not to miss a single word, thought,or possible guess at how this story could end, but there was just so much more woven between the chapters as the story is told by two of the main characters.
Truly well put together!


There is no doubt that Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan really out did themselves!

Thank you to #Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine and to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this ARC and provide my own review. Ten stars!!

Picoult and Finney Boylan constructed a masterpiece. This novel has so much interwoven into a whodunit and why. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers - the “twist” comes to complicate, as in so many of Picoult’s other works. Makes you think. Makes you feel. Makes you pause. Would love another collaboration by these wonderful authors. The writing is superb and each character's point of view enriches the story without being distracting.

Once again Jodi proves she is the super hero of gripping novels. As usual, she takes controversial social issues and breaks them down to pluck your heart strings. While we seem to not be in the same lane on world views, she is able to bring explicit understanding and a softening of opposing ideas. This story has made its mark on me. Thank you, Jodi!

I've read all of Jodi's books so I am familiar with her style... I enjoyed the story and the mid book surprise had the book making me thinking about Trans people in this country. The story and writing were good but the story moved a bit slow.

This novel by Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan has something for almost every reader. It is a testimony to the strength of a mother’s love. There are a few jaw-dropping surprises, which I will not even hint about. This murder mystery novel filled with courtroom drama is nearly perfectly written. In addition, it’s an ode to bees and beekeeping. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

Picoult is a master at creating characters you love and want to cheer for, wrapped up in today's most relevant topics. Mad Honey is no different. This was such a compelling read, I couldn't get through it fast enough.